Annunciator



(No Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. T. HESS.

ANNUNOIATOR. No. 415,182. Patented Nov. 12, 1889;

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ALBERT T. HESS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,182, dated November 12, 1889.

Application filed December 9, 1887- Serial No. 257,424. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. HESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Annunciators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric annunciators for hotel, residence, and other similar uses; and it consists in an electro-automatic throw-back annunciator and annunciating system composed of the parts, and operating as hereinafter fully set forth in the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation and diagram of my improvements, including both the annunciator proper and the annunciating system, one of the wings of the shield being cut away and the plate shown in section; Fig. 2, a full-size transverse section on line 00 a", Fig. 1, of the annunciator, showing the indicator or shield in its normal position; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional elevation of the shield and the armature carried by it. Fig. i is a diagram of my improved system, showing the parts at rest in their normal condition, the same as shown in Fig. 1, but with the annunciator box or case omitted; Fig. 5, a similar view to Fig. 4, showing the main circuit just being closed at the push button or lever in a distant room and the shield starting to turn into annunciating position or sight; Fig. (5, a view showing a diagram similar to that shown in Figs. ei and 5, showing the shield brought into full view or annunciating position and the local circuit closed; and Fig. '7, a diagram similar to the last three described figures, showing the shield in annunciating position and the bell connected in the local circuit for a continuous ring.

A represents the back board or base of the annunciator-case; a a a a, the respective side, top, and bottom walls thereof, and 13 its glass front.

0 is an annunciator bell or gong surmounting the casein the usual manner, or set in any suitable desired position elsewhere, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7.

D is a push-button or switch-lever at the bottom of the said annunciator-case, and E a call'or push button in a distant room or other separate station. Puslrbutton D in its normal position closes the circuit, while callbutton E in its normal position breaks or opens it.

F represents an electro-magnet, composed, as customary, of a central core and a surrounding coil, and having pole pieces or plates f and f, the former piece f being an angular one, whose upright portion or foot f receives the screws G G for fastening the electromagnet and accompanying parts to the base Awithin the case. p

H represents the annunciator-shield, provided with the horizontal inwardly-disposed arms h h, by which it is pivotally connected with the pins or shaft 1, projecting centrally from the core of the electro-magnet through the pole-pieces f and f.

L. is an angular extension or foot on the inner end of arm h of the shield.

J is a pin projecting from the face of polepiece f, and forming a stop to properly limit the movement in either direction of the shield H.

K represents the usual auxiliary armature of the shield, secured on the back of its indipaltor or numbered plate between the arms 'L represents a plate-spring secured at one end to the base A and bent upward and outward at a suitable angle, and arranged so that the extension or footi on the arm of the shield comes in contact with it, slightly depresses it, and forms, in connection therewith, both an electrical contact or part of the local circuit to hold the shield in annunciating position and mechanical means for returning said shield to its normal position after an annunciation.

M represents a battery connected at one side or pole by wire I) with call-button E in the distant room, and at its other pole by Wire 0 with the annunciatorbell O.

N represents a local battery connected at one side or pole by wire (Z with the push-button D, and at its other side or terminal by wire cl with a contact lever or switch 0.

e is a wire connecting the switch 0, when in the position shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, and (3, with the magnet-coil, thereby forming a part of and completing the-local circuit when the shield has been brought into full annun'ciat ing position, as shown more particularly (by arrows) in Fig. 7, and g a wire connecting one contact-point of the push-button D with the contact and shield-returning spring L.

j is a wire connecting the magnet-coil. with the bell C, and forms part of the main circuit. Both wires 6 and j are attached toa bindingpost or screw Z.

m is a wire connecting the pole-piece f and one side or contact of the call-button E.

The operation and advantages of my system above described are as follows: By pressing the call-button E in the distant room or separate station the main circuit is closed or completed through battery M, thereby charging the electro-magnet F, including its core and pole-pieces, with operating-current and moving or drawing the armature-shield H K to the front into annunciating position. The forward horizontal movement of the shield brings its extension or foot t' into electric contact with the spring L, thus closing or completing the local circuit at that point to hold the shield in annunciating position. WVhen the switch 0 is in the position shown in Figs. 1, at, 5, and 6, the bell O is cut out of the local circuit and a silent annunciation (so termed, but the bell really rings at the time the push-button E is depressed to close the circuit at that point, and continues to so ring until said push-button is allowed to rise and break circuit at said point) is made, the said local circuit being closed direct through the battery N and spring L and electro-magnet F at the time the shield H is in annunciating position; but when the said switch is turned into contact with a suitable point or post 19 in' wire 0, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, the local circuit between batteryN and hell 0 is completed and a continuous ring of said bell follows. After an annunciation the shield may be readily returned to its normal position by depressing the push-b utton D, (or, in case a lever is used, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, it may be drawn away from contact with the battery-wire (1,) which action breaks the circuit between contact-spring L and the foot 1' on shield-arm h and the battery N, the said spring at the same time forming a forcible mechanical means for throwing said shield back in a horizontal line or plane out of sight into its stated normal position, and the bell simultaneously ceases to ringthat is, in case the switch 0 is turned into the regular ringing contact with the post P in wire cl.

The push-button Dmay be placed at the lower part of the case, as shown, or in any other position convenient for the operator at the central or annunciator point without affecting the operation in the least, as is obvious, thereby providing, in unison with the returning contact-spring L and the accompanying battery-connections, an electro-automatic throw-back annunciator, combining at once economy, durability, and facility in both construction and operation.

I claim In an electric annunciator, the combination, with an electro-magnet having a central shaft or core passing therethrough, of an annunciator-shield pivotally connected to said central shaft and provided with inwardlyextending arms, one of said arms being provided with an extension or foot 2', contact and returning spring L, secured above the inwardly-extending arms of the annunciatorshield', and with which electrical contact is made by the foot or extension formed upon. the said inwardly-disposed arm of the shield, said spring adapted to facilitate the forward movement of the annunciator-shield, main battery M, push-button E, for completing the circuit to bring the annunciator-shield forward into annunciating position, local battery N, wire connectingthe push-button D and contact-spring L in circuit, and pushbutton D for breaking the local circuit and thereby releasing the annunciator-shield to return to its normal position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

' ALBERT T. HESS.

\Vitnesses:

J AS. A. MERRITT, J ESS A. RUNKLE. 

